Lubricating means for sewing machine drive assemblies



Jan. 10, 1967 H. ORTH ETAL LUBRICATING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINE DRIVE ASSEMBLIES Filed July 16, 1964 IN VEN TORS flM/f 0577/ 4/1/5 /f/4/EL 11 5956 United States Patent 3,296,989 LUBRICATING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINE DRIVE ASSEMBLIES Hans firth, Alsenborn, and Karl Weber, Kaiserslautern, Germany, assignors to G. M. Pfaif AG, Kaiserslautern, Pfalz, Germany Filed July 16, 1964, Set. No. 383,11 Claims priority, application Germany, July 24, 1963, P 32,267 4 Claims. (Cl. 112-256) The invention relates to lubricating means for sewing machines and is particularly concerned with lubricating means for the drive assemblies of sewing machines.

It is an object of the invention to provide for improved lubrication of the bearing surfaces of the components of sewing machine drive mechanisms.

One characteristic feature of lubricating means which rely on immersion or dipping is that the components to be lubricated are at least partly immersed or dipped into a supply of lubricant. In view of the fact that this type of lubrication requires merely supplementing a predetermined quantity of lubricant which is stored in a component, it features among lubricating means that require the least attention. Moreover, lubricating by dipping provides the advantage that the supply and feeding of the lubricant requires no particular conducting and control means.

The best known type of dipping lubrication provides a container for receiving a lubricant below a driving assembly into which moving driving assembly bearings and moving components are immersed or dipped for a short period of time during the running of the machine. The lubricant carried along by adhesion is also cast onto bearing locations of the drive means that are located above the level of the lubricant.

In different known dip lubricating means, particularly for lubricating individual components of the sewing machine driving mechanism, materials such as felt, which are saturated with lubricant, are provided in recesses or cavities inside the machine housing. Drive mechanism components are brought into contact with these saturated materials during their operating movements and wipe ofi lubricant at the bearing locations.

Finally, dip lubrication arrangements are known for supplying drive mechanism assemblies where lubricant is removed from a lubricant supply below the material carrier plate by means of a chain which is immersed in the lubricant and is conducted to hearing locations at higher levels.

All of these known arrangements are subject to the disadvantage that besides the space for accommodating the components of the drive mechanism and the space required for executing the movements of these components, additional space must be provided for storing a supply of lubricant. This increases the volume of space for the machine housing or, if the housing is limited to predetermined dimensions, it is necessary to forego the use of the dip lubricant that requires so little attention. Particularly with drive assemblies that should be accommodated within a small space it is difficult to equip them with sufiicient, simple and space saving lubricating means. These shortcomings are particularly in evidence in connection with drive assemblies such as are required for the drive of the needle bars in sewing machines of the needle feed type for driving the oscillating chain stitch loopers, for operating oscillating upper material feed dogs, and the like. Here it is necessary for solving the problem of providing a satisfactory drive, to accommodate at the most essential locations a plurality of components within the smallest space possible.

In accordance with the invention a dip lubrication is to be provided for the lubricant supply for the components of the drive assembly, which besides the space required for accommodating the components proper, permits of dispensing with any additional space for arranging a container to store the lubricant, while at the same time also the production costs of drive means equipped with dip lubrication can be held within reason. In accordance with the invention this is accomplished in that for accommodating the lubricant supply required for a drive assembly the component of the assembly that is located at the lowest level is in the form of a container that is open at the top and is so arranged that during each cycle of operation at least one driving assembly component has presented to it the lubricant supply for briefly dipping in it one part of its surface. The container for the lubricant supply thus is simultaneously utilized as an effective member in the aggregation of transmission components.

Since the container constitutes simultaneously a part of the drive mechanism and accordingly participates in the operating movements and it is necessary, besides, to prevent casting off of lubricant over the area of the assembly owing to the danger of soiling the machine and the goods being sewn, the solution of the problem in accordance with the invention introduces the secondary problem of restraining the lubricant within the container in such a manner that movements of the container do not influence the level of the lubricant and that the lubricant without being cast off is distributed to all parts of the drive assembly. In this connection one novel feature resides in that in the container which is incorporated in the drive assembly to receive the lubricant, an insert of absorbent material for storing lubricant is provided and that furthermore the driving assembly component that is dipped into the container is equipped with a material which is likewise absorbent to form a lubricant distributor for removing the lubricant from the lubricant supply and for feeding lubricant to hearing locations of the assembly. Suitably the lubricant distributor is formed as a unitary member from pads, at least one of which absorbs lubricant from the supply and at least one of which comes into contact with the bearing locations of the assembly during the operating movements of the drive assembly and thus yields lubricant thereto. The form and the direction of the pads are in each case adapted to that position which results, on the one hand, between the location provided for fastening the distributor on the drive component which dips and the particular bearing areas to be associated with the pads and, on the other hand, between the aforementioned position for mounting the distributor and the container that receives the lubricant supply.

Further features and advantages of the dip lubrication in accordance with the invention and details of the progress and advantages attained thereby will become apparent from the following specification of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings which show a lubricating means for a needle bar drive, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a section through the head of a sewing machine with the installed drive assembly for the needle bar and which is provided with the dip lubrication means in accordance with the invention, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view which illustrates the drive assembly provided with dip lubrication to a larger scale.

In the head portion 1 of the housing of the sewing machine which is equipped in a known manner with a needle bar feed means, the main drive shaft 2 and a rocking shaft 3 forming a part of the needle feed means are journailed. At the head end of the drive shaft 2 a crank 4 having a stud 5 is secured for journalling and driving an operating component in the form of a link bar 6. The latter has a bore 7 to which the needle bar 8 is connected by means of a needle bar stud 9. The needle bar 8 supports the needle 10 and is journalled for reciprocating movement in bores 11, 12 of the needle bar oscillator frame 13, a driven component which is rockable by the rocking shaft 3 toward and counter to the feed direction A. The needle bar frame 13 is U-shaped. One of its legs 14 is rigidly connected with the rocking shaft 3 and is provided with a guide slot 15 for the sliding block 16 that is arranged on the needle bar stud 9 and secures the needle bar 8 against rotation. At the other leg 17 bores 11, 12 are provided on both sides and a recess 18 is provided in which the needle bar stud 9 which is clamped onto the needle bar 8 moves up and down in accordance with the needle bar stroke.

The transverse member of bridge 19 which connects the two legs 14, 17 forms together with the former and with two lateral bridge members 20, 21 that reinforce the frame 13 a lubricant container 22 in the interior of which an insert 23 is located which stores the lubricant and which is made of felt, foam material, or the like. The insert 23 is of a thickness indicated at x which is larger than the distance y which remains between the link member 6 in its lowest position and the bottom 24 of the container 22. The link member 6 thus dips during each needle bar stroke into the insert 23 over a distance z corresponding to the difference between at and y and thereby presses a cavity into the insert.

The part of the needle bar stud 9 which is clamped onto the needle bar 8 is likewise provided with a lubricant distributor 27 formed from pads 25, 26 of absorbant material. This provides for the lubricant supply to the bores 11, 12 for the bearing of the needle bar, in that during contacting the insert 23 it draws in lubricant which is carried along and supplied to the bores 11, 12.

When the link member 6 moves to its lower position, then it compresses by the distance 1 the insert 23 that is saturated with lubricant. The lubricant container presents the insert to the link member and is formed as a part of the needle bar frame and therefore participates in its movements. During the compressing of the insert 23 the surface portion of link member 6 which dips into the insert is moistened with the lubricant stored in the container 22 by means of the insert 23. The lubricant then reaches the bore 7 owing to a creeping effect and then lubricates the location of the joint formed by the stud 9. Simultaneously with the part of the surface of the link member 6 which dips into the insert 23, also the pad 26 of the lubricant distributor 27 and the sliding block 16 are brought into contact with the insert 23 and are thus supplied with lubricant. Thus the lubricant distributor 27 absorbs lubricant and also the sliding block 16 is moist ened with lubricant. During a cycle of operation the link member 6 brings the pad of the distributor 27 into contact with the border areas of the bore 11 and the pad 26 into contact with the border areas of the bore 12 to which lubricant adheres which likewise distributes itself as a result of the creeping effect over the entire surface of bores 11, 12 and thus effects the lubrication of the bearings of the needle bar. Even when the machine operates rapidly, no dropping or casting off of lubricant takes place, because the lubricant is firmly retained in the distributor 27 as well as in the insert 23 due to the absorption effect. The sliding block 16 takes along the lubricant adhering thereto into its guide groove 15 so that also the guide groove is supplied with new lubricant during each cycle of operation of the link member 6.

The lubricant distributor 27 can also be provided with more than one pad. Likewise the link member 6 can be provided with more than two lubricant distributors in order to provide further bearing locations above the insert 23 with lubricant.

Having now described our invention with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, we do not wish to be limited thereto, but what we desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Lubricating means for drive assemblies of sewing machines comprising a machine drive assembly including a driven component, said driven component having a portion defining a container having a closed bottom and which is open at the top, a store of lubricant in said container extending a distance x above said bottom, at least one operating component movable relative to said container and a bearing means for said operating component, said portion defining said lubricant container being disposed at a lower level than said operating component said operating component and said bearing means, said operating component having at least one surface portion adapted to dip into said lubricant during each cycle of operation to a distance y above said bottom which is less than said distance x.

2. Lubricating means for drive assemblies of sewing machines comprising a machine drive assembly including a driven component, said driven component having a portion defining a container having a closed bottom and which is open at the top, and a store of lubricant in said container extending a distance x above said bottom, at least one operating component movable relative to said container and a bearing means for said operating component, said portion defining said lubricant container being disposed at a lower level than said operating component and said bearing means, said operating component having at least one surface portion dipping into said lubricant during each cycle of operation to a distance y above said bottom which is less than said distance x, said store of lubricant being an insert of lubricant absorbing material engaged by said operating component.

3. Lubricating means for drive assemblies of sewing machines comprising a machine drive assembly including a driven component, said driven component having a portion defining a container having a closed bottom and which is open at the top, and a store of lubricant in said container extending a distance x above said bottom, at least one operating component movable relative to said container and a bearing means for said operating component, said portion defining said lubricant container being disposed at a lower level than said operating component and said bearing means, said operating component having at least one surface portion adapted to dip into said lubricant during each cycle of operation to a distance y above said bottom which is less than said distance x, said store of lubricant being an insert of lubricant absonbing material engaging said operating component, and said operating component being supported by said bearing means and having secured thereto a lubricant distributor having at least two pads of lubricant absorbing and storing material, at least one of said pads transferring during operation of the machine lubricant to said bearing means and the other of said pads contacting lubricant in said container.

4. Lubricating means for drive assemblies such as the needle bar assemblies of sewing machines, said means ineluding a needle bar oscillator frame, said frame having a lower portion defining a container, open at the top and having a closed bottom, and having a lubricant disposed therein rising to a distance x, an operating component movable relative to said frame and said container and to the lubricant therein, said operating component having a surface portion, the path of operation of said surface portion in said lubricant extending from above said distance x downward to a distance y below said distance x.

UNITED STATES PATENTS References Cited by the Examiner Fleckenstein 1 1225 6 Fleckenstein et a1. 112256 Barron 112256 Zonis 112-213 Winz 112-210 Broedner 112-256 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. G. KRIZMANICH, Assisttant Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No 5,296,989 January 10, 1967 Hans Orth et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, lines 27 and 28, strike out, "said operating componenth Signed and sealed this 26th day of September 1967.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. LUBRICATING MEANS FOR DRIVE ASSEMBLIES OF SEWING MACHINES COMPRISING A MACHINE DRIVE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A DRIVEN COMPONENT, SAID DRIVEN COMPONENT HAVING A PORTION DEFINING A CONTAINER HAVING A CLOSED BOTTOM AND WHICH IS OPEN AT THE TOP, A STORE OF LUBRICANT IN SAID CONTAINER EXTENDING A DISTANCE X ABOVE SAID BOTTOM, AT LEAST ONE OPERATING COMPONENT MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAID CONTAINER AND A BEARING MEANS FOR SAID OPERATING COMPONENT, SAID PORTION DEFINING SAID LUBRICANT CONTAINER BEING DISPOSED AT A LOWER LEVEL THAN SAID OPERATING COMPONENT SAID OPERATING COMPONENT AND SAID BEARING MEANS, SAID OPERATING COMPONENT HAVING AT LEAST ONE SURFACE PORTION ADAPTED TO DIP INTO SAID LUBRICANT DURING EACH CYCLE OF OPERATION TO A DISTANCE Y ABOVE SAID BOTTOM WHICH IS LESS THAN SAID DISTANCE X. 